by Christin Brown | March 9, 2021 | News Releases
Senators Sabatina and Tartaglione collaborated to get site in their community.
Philadelphia, March 9 2021 − Sen. John Sabatina (D-Philadelphia) and Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia) are pleased to announce there will soon be a new COVID-19 vaccination location in Northeast Philadelphia. The state senators worked diligently with city officials to secure the Northeast’s first municipal vaccination site, which will serve constituents from both of their senate districts.
“According to the city’s own published data, some of the hardest hit ZIP codes are in Northeast Philly,” Sabatina said. “Yet many of my neighbors would have to travel quite a distance to get a vaccine when eligible.”
Senator Tartaglione agreed.
“Every day constituents call my district offices to ask how they can sign up for a vaccine and why there are few if any convenient vaccination sites in their neighborhoods,” Tartaglione said. “This new vaccination site will be much more accessible for the people of the Northeast.”
The site will be located at Cannstatter Volkesfest Verein, a landmark catering facility at 9130 Academy Road, in the 19114 ZIP code. The next closest city-operated site is at Community Academy Charter School in the Juniata Park neighborhood.
Sabatina praised Cannstatter’s for stepping up.
“Such great people at Cannstatter’s, they’re always there for us,” said Sabatina, who has hosted community events there. “It’s a convenient location for many of our friends and neighbors and the property layout presents many advantages for an operation like this.”
The city is getting a boost with the FEMA site at the Convention Center in Center City. Sabatina called the new Northeast location a no-brainer.
“Northeast Philadelphia is an incredibly diverse region, has a large senior population and is roughly one fourth of the city,” Sabatina said. “I’m glad that this important section of the city is being recognized as deserving of a vaccination site.”
Senator Tartaglione added: “I appreciate and thank all the community organizations and volunteers who have led efforts to distribute vaccinations throughout the city. The people of the Northeast have been very patient throughout this process, and I’m glad to see that the city will be directly addressing their needs.”
The site is scheduled to open the week of March 22. The City of Philadelphia will release more details on hours of operation and how to sign up. Both Senators recommend their constituents register their names on the COVID Vaccine-Interest website at https://covid-vaccine-interest.phila.gov/
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by Christin Brown | June 5, 2020 | News Releases
Letter signed by 17 Senators Calls for Immediate Hearings
Harrisburg, June 5, 2020 − Senator John Sabatina (D-Philadelphia) implored Governor Wolf to suspend the termination of 700 Pennsylvania employees until public hearings can be held on the clandestine decision by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC).
“It is absurd that we would send 700 more Pennsylvanians to the unemployment line during this crisis,” Sabatina said, who serves as the Democratic Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. “We agreed these loyal state employees would be retained until the end of 2021, when the Turnpike would go cashless.”
Sabatina wasn’t alone in his dismay. Senator Tartaglione, Democratic Chair of the Labor Committee, also questioned the decision.
“This sudden decision to terminate 700 hardworking Turnpike employees violates the agreement we had in place and comes at a time when the Commonwealth should be doing everything it can to curtail the loss of jobs,” said Senator Tartaglione, the Democratic Chair of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee. “We must insist that all stakeholders have their say in a public forum as part of any decision-making process of this magnitude.”
In all, 17 Senators are calling for the hearings before the June 18th termination date. The letter was sent to Governor Wolf on Friday.
You can read Senator Sabatina’s letter here:
The Honorable Governor Tom Wolf
Office of the Governor
508 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
June 5, 2020
Re: Suspend Elimination of Toll Collector Positions
Dear Governor Wolf:
We are deeply disturbed at the stealthy manner in which the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission voted to eliminate over 700 toll collector jobs this week.
Prior to Tuesday June 2nd, all parties understood that under the original agreement, the PTC promised to employ these Pennsylvanians until the exits went completely cashless at the end of 2021. During this timeframe, the remaining toll collectors would be able to apply for existing positions within the Commission, help get placed in appropriate Commonwealth vacancies, or receive a tuition credit to help receive new job training. To our knowledge, none of the above terms of the agreement have been met.
Also prior to June 2nd, we believed that we had an open and transparent relationship with the PTC. On May 12, 2020, during a Senate Transportation Committee Hearing regarding Turnpike finances, the opportunity presented itself for the PTC to discuss potential layoffs. Despite questions raised by Senate members on the future of the toll workers, no meaningful discussion on this topic was advanced by any member of the PTC.
We, therefore, believe that it is necessary to conduct an informational hearing to determine the fundamental reasons behind the PTC’s failure to abide by the original agreement regarding termination as well as its failure to notify, inform and discuss this matter with the Legislature. We understand the financial difficulties placed upon the Turnpike, however, it is blatantly unconscionable to mislead employees into thinking that their jobs were somewhat secure for the next year and a half, while knowing that these loyal employees really had less than a month to find another job in the midst of a pandemic.
These people have families that depend on them to provide necessities during this extremely difficult time and adding 700 Pennsylvanians to the unemployment rolls will not benefit the Commonwealth.
We respectfully request that this decision to layoff 700 toll collectors on June 18, 2021 be suspended until it can be established with certainty through an informational hearing that there is not some reasonable alternative that allows the PTC to keep its original promise to its faithful employees.
Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter and we await your prompt response.
Sincerely,
Senator John P. Sabatina, Jr. Chairman, Transportation Committee
Senator Jay Costa 43rd Senatorial District
Senator Anthony Williams 8th Senatorial District
Senator Tina Tartaglione 2nd Senatorial District
Senator John Blake 22nd Senatorial District
Senator Vincent Hughes 7th Senatorial District
Senator Judy Schwank 11th Senatorial District
Senator Lisa Boscola 18th Senatorial District
Senator James Brewster 45th Senatorial District
Senator Wayne Fontana 42nd Senatorial District
Senator Timothy Kearney 26th Senatorial District
Senator Andrew Dinniman 19th Senatorial District
Senator Lindsey Williams 38th Senatorial District
Senator Maria Collett 12th Senatorial District
Senator Pam Iovino 37th Senatorial District
Senator Katie Muth 44th Senatorial District
Senator Larry Farnese 1st Senatorial District
by Christin Brown | November 15, 2019 | News Releases
Funding from Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program will support the construction of a new welding lab and expansion of an academic excellence center.
Philadelphia, PA − November 15, 2019 – State Senators Christine Tartaglione and John Sabatina visited Father Judge High School today to present the school’s leadership, supporters, and students with a $1.5 million state redevelopment grant to assist in the construction of a state-of-the-art welding lab and the expansion of an academic excellence center at the Northeast Philadelphia school.
Dozens of enrollees in Father Judge’s welding program enthusiastically joined a ceremonial check presentation. The funding was awarded to the Friends of Father Judge High School, Inc., through the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, which supports organizations in their acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civc, recreational, and historical improvement projects.
“I was honored to advocate for this funding on behalf of Father Judge because of the high-quality education that the school offers to residents of the 2nd Senate District and the entire Philadelphia region,” Senator Tartaglione said. “The welding program and the academic excellence center are perfect examples of the school’s innovative approach to preparing students for academic success and for prosperous careers.”
“It’s an honor to be able to assist Father Judge High School as it continues to expand its educational opportunities to students from our community,” Senator Sabatina said. “As a graduate of Father Judge, I take great pleasure in seeing the school grow into one of the premier high schools in Philadelphia.”
“As the Chairman of the Friends of Father Judge, I am excited about the possibilities the $1.5 million RACP Grant will provide for current and future Crusaders,” said William St. Clair, IV. “We are extremely grateful to Senator Christine Tartaglione and Senator John Sabatina for supporting our application and believing in our vision to provide expanded academic enrichment as well as career and technical pathways for students.”
Welding is the first of several career pathway programs at Father Judge that will provide enhanced career training and prepare students for in-demand, family-sustaining jobs of the present and future. Together, these programs comprise Father Judge’s Career Technical Education Academy, which is dedicated to a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum.
“Due to the nation’s tight labor market, there is a high demand for all skilled trades. And welding is at the top of the list,” Senator Tartaglione said. “The welding program at Father Judge is giving local students a big advantage that they will use in the coming years to secure lucrative, family-supporting jobs.”
The Father Brisson Center for Academic Excellence at Father Judge was founded in 2003 to assist students with vital reading and math skills and to prepare them for state and national performance series testing. The RACP grant will allow the school to reconfigure and expand the center to serve a growing demand for academic support.
Collectively, the renovations are expected to create dozens of new construction jobs and 10 permanent full-time positions at Father Judge, which serves about 1,200 students representing 29 different ZIP codes in Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, and Delaware counties.
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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact William Kenny at 215-533-0440 or William.Kenny@pasenate.com.
